CONTEXT

Administrative and biographical history: Plas Llansteffan house (anglicised as 'Plas Llanstephan') was probably built in the second half of the 16th century by the Lloyd family. The Lloyd family held Plas Llansteffan until 1767, when it passed to the Meares family, of Eastington in the parish of Rhoscrowther, Pembrokeshire. The manor of Llanstephan was held by the Morris family of Carmarthen bankers, from the late 18th century; their estates included land in Llangain, Llandyfaelog, Llanarthney, Llangynog and Llanstephan, and in the town of Carmarthen. During parts of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the mansion was leased out, to Sir John James Hamilton, and Sir John Williams (1840-1926), baronet, before being sold in 1920 to Sir Owen Cosby Philipps (1863-1937), of Coomb, Llangynog, Carmarthenshire, politician and shipping magnate, who was created Lord Kylsant in 1923. He had resided at Amroth Castle, Pembrokeshire, 1904-1920, and appears to have kept the Coomb, Amroth and Cilsant estates until at least 1936. Lady Kylsant was succeeded at Plas Llansteffan by Nesta Donne Fisher-Hoch sometime between 1949 and 1954. Her husband, Major Terrance Vincent Fisher-Hoch was interested in sailing and owned a yacht, the Piscis of Towy. He also held the office of High Sheriff of Carmarthenshire during the 1960s.

CONTENT

Scope and content: Estate papers of the Lloyd, Morris, Philipps and Fisher-Hoch families of Plas Llanstephan, Carmarthenshire, 1646-1982, including deeds, 1945-1964; estate and family correspondence, 1917-1973; political papers of the Morris family, 1837-1888; charters and appointments, 1826-1970; accounts, 1954-1970; vouchers, 1956-1977; correspondence, accounts and plans of the Amroth, Barnsfield, Llangain, Coomb and Kilsant estates, 1731-1971; correspondence with local government, 1933-1967; business records, 1908-1949; papers relating to sailing, 1959-1978; papers relating to the High Shrievalty, 1963-1971; maps and plans, 1798-1958, of Llanstephan estate; printed books and pamphlets, 1805-1982; and miscellaneous, 1869-1969.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/script: English

System of arrangement: Arranged into the following: first deposit: legal; correspondence; miscellaneous; later deposits are generally arranged in chronological order by estate.

Conditions governing reproduction: Usual copyright rules apply.

Finding aids: A hard copy of the catalogue is available at Carmarthenshire Archive Service.Detailed catalogue

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information: All records deposited at Carmarthenshire Archives Service have been retained.

ALLIED MATERIALS

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note: Title supplied from contents of fonds

Archivist's note: Compiled by Richard Burman for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Carmarthenshire Archives Service, Plas Llanstephan Additional Papers, 1966-1982; Jones, Major Francis, Historic Carmarthenshire Houses and Their Families (Pembrokeshire, 1997).

Rules or conventions: This description follows ANW guidelines based on ISAD(G) second edition, AACR2, and LCSH